


Shooting Stars

by flightless_soren



Category: Show By Rock!! - All Media Types
Genre: Beach Episode, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:04:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11680788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightless_soren/pseuds/flightless_soren
Summary: Rom and Shuu visit their old haunts.





	Shooting Stars

**Author's Note:**

> commission for Noe! This was a lot of fun to write.  
> if you're interested in commissioning me, hit me up at @slinkyishawt on twitter.

Shuu can never tell how ass deep in trouble he is with everything until Rom has _the talk_ with him. The idol is used to over working himself, to him, it’s something he views as _normal_ . Most of the time, he can cope. Getting up at five in the morning every day, something he never thought he would have done as a teenager. Rom had always teased him back then, tried to push him out, laughing at his sheer stubborn refusal to get out of bed sometimes. Now, it’s almost the other way around. Rom sleepily clinging onto his waist whenever he tries to get up, getting into a habit of setting his alarm half an hour early so his boyfriend can happily cuddle him before he _really_ has to go.

The early starts, the late nights. All of that wasn’t a problem. He was used to bad sleeping habits from his days with Amatelast. Keeping himself up with coffee after coffee, trying to met deadlines for new concerts and contracts, writing away into the night in hopes inspiration would just, _happen._ The only thing that had really changed from back then, was his coffee consumption happened throughout the day, his score writing happening in allocated time slots - and this time he had help. It was a little frustrating for Shuu. He liked to have full control over his music, and it bothered him he wasn’t in charge of the score music anymore. He was allowed to write lyrics - within reason - but the last time he’d had full say over his own songs was _Insight_. And that was almost six years ago now.

So when Rom had come home, honestly it was a damn miracle Shuu had even been allowed home early for once, and found Shuu angrily on the ground, face first and kicking his legs moodily into the air, he had decided to speak to him. About _stress levels_. Rom himself had lost count at how many times this week alone Shuu had mentioned _oh, I have an interview that day._ Or, an appearance on some variety show. A new script for a new drama. Five looming deadlines for new song outlines, new stage costumes and a tour plan at the end of the year. And somehow he was fitting all of this in with a smile.

Shuu was _not_ stressed. He’d snapped at Rom, mostly on accident, telling him it was a bit rich to say that Shuu was stressed when he knew Rom was just as bad. With working consecutive days, long hours, always doing over time.

In the more reasonable parts of Shuu’s mind, Shuu knew he was being difficult.

But Shuu was not reasonable right now, falling dead silent when Rom had asked.

_When did you last eat?_

Eating was always hard for Shuu. It was less, he disliked it, more, _where_ was the time to eat. And there was so much he _could not_ eat, Judas having a throttle hold over him and his dietary needs. Not that this stopped him from time to time. Rom would stubbornly hand Shuu a slice of cake he’d worked on for Shingancrimsonz newest cafe collaboration, and Shuu _really_ liked cake.

So being asked that, Shuu had shamefully turned his eyes to the side, awkwardly rubbing at his arm and admitting. _Does eating coffee count? I had some at lunch._ Before Rom had drawn him into a strong hug.

He was tired.

Shuu hated admitting he was weak. There was _so_ much to do, and he _needed_ to get better. Even after seven years of being apart of Trichronika, Shuu still viewed himself as not being good enough. He could do so much more. He _wanted_ to do more. Willingly sacrificing his own health in the hopes it would amount to something.

He just wanted his fans to be happy.

Rom had asked when his next vacation period was, and all Shuu could do was laugh. Slightly hysterically. What vacation period? He was lucky to get a weekend to himself sometimes. After speaking some sense into him, Shuu finally agreed to speak with Judas about granting him some time off.

As expecting, it was like pulling teeth.

There was humming, there was, _well I don’t know_. _Shuuzo is very busy for the next few months, we want him to release his new single and-_ Rom had almost threatened to come down to their offices like some kind of overbearing father, angry the principal wasn’t allowing his child some sick leave. After some tense negotiations, he was allowed a two weeks holiday period.

Shuu was so excited he had declared he was gonna spend one full week of that time just sleeping.

“Rather that… I thought it would be nice if we went somewhere?”

“Where?”

“Do you remember that island we used to go to, back in high school? I know it was only once, but it might be nice to go back.”

Shuu’s eyes had gone all big and sparkly.

Waihaha Island had been their first vacation spot away together. They had saved, or at least Rom had been good with saving, their entire allowances up for two tickets. It had been such a big deal back then. And although their hotel had been kinda run down, and it had been overcast for most of the trip, it was a memory Shuu had always looked back on fondly. 

 

* * *

Going back isn’t the strange part. Seeing the small island gradually coming closer and closer out of the aeroplane window had made Shuu lean across Rom’s lap to excitedly press his nose against the glass, ignoring Rom’s sleepy grumbles of; “I asked if you wanted the window seat.” What’s strange is, back then, their plane had been bare bones; terrible back row seats and smelt vaguely of children’s diapers. Now they could afford first class, although honestly, Shuu had asked if they could use the academy’s private jet at first, and Rom had flatly told him no.

“Could I _buy us_ a private jet-“

“Also no.”

It’s even stranger getting to the hotel.

Shuu has a clear memory of the reception area with a beaten up sofa sitting in the corner and paint peeling off the walls. And a slightly more embarrassing memory of managing to snap off one of the bed’s legs in their room -  they hadn’t even _done_ anything in the bed, it was only because Shuu had carelessly flopped down onto it once.

This new hotel sparkles. Quite literally. Everything is a cool marble, the sunlight that streams through the huge glass windows reflecting off the glossy surfaces. If Shuu wasn’t wearing his sunglasses, he’s pretty sure he might have been blinded. A bellboy fetches their luggage and disappears off into one of the many elevators, Shuu standing to one side as Rom checks them in. Despite the island being removed from the hubbub of Midi City - almost a eight hour flight removed - he still feels nervous about being spotted in public. With a sunhat low over his eyes, and wearing something nondescript, the only thing Shuu struggles with hiding is his trademark tail.

“You look on edge?”

“Sorry,” Shuu says automatically, finally being about to breath inside the elevator. Removing his sunglasses so he doesn’t have to squint in the bad light, he takes hold of Rom’s hand, as if reaching out for a safety net. “I was just thinking it would suck if someone spotted me over here.”

“I guess. I hadn’t really thought of that. It should be fine, I can deal with anyone would bothers you.”

“Does it. . . isn’t it annoying?”

“What’s annoying?”

Shuu chuckles, resting his head against Rom’s arm. He would never call Rom naive. But it is a little refreshing to see how removed he can be from idol life. He never has to worry about being hounded on the street. Always glancing around incase the paparazzi was there. Although Shuu is _far_ from normal, Rom makes him feel normal with comments like that. Not even considering his popularity would be an issue, that they were just here on a nice date.

Maybe he’s a little bit relieved as well. Their break up, then getting back together had not been a smooth affair. Shuu knows, outside of their own messed up past, he comes with even more baggage these days. A part him had always been concerned Rom wouldn’t want to deal with the annoyance of having to always hide they were dating, Rom would never be able to brag about who he was dating. It just felt like Shuu was robbing him of the happiness he deserved sometimes.

After admitting his fears a few months into them being back together, Rom had given him a strange look.

_That doesn’t stop me from talking about you._

_What?_

_Uh, although I do often refer to you as my wife._

Shuu had shrieked and hit his arm, angrily pouting that saying he was a wife added too much onto his age. _But y_ _ou are old, Shuu,_ Rom had laughed at him, trying to kiss away his frown lines.

Rom asks what’s bothering him again, as he continues to be evasive, Shuu turning instead to smile up at him and change the subject. “I’m glad we came back here.”  

“It’s kind of weird,” Rom admits, the elevator at last opening to their floor. It only takes a moment of searching to find their room number, but even longer for Rom to open the door - swipe cards and modern technology were not Rom’s forte. “A nice kind of weird, I guess. I’ve never been to a hotel where they, just, _do_ everything for you. I thought the staff were never gonna leave me alone. Who needs to be shown to their room anyway?”

“Rich people, Rom.”

“Yeah, but you’re rich. You don’t expect people to just do everything for you.”

Shuu lifts both eyebrows up at Rom, who at last wins the battle with the swipe key and lets them inside. “Says the man opening the door for me, and letting me into my room,” he doesn’t miss the way his eyes roll. The room is less hotel feeling, and more like a luxury studio apartment. Their luggage is sitting and waiting for them in the middle of what can only be called a living room, which is equipped with a few large, squishy sofas, entertainment unit and more doors leading to other parts of the unit. Instead of a solid wall, there is just floor to ceiling sheets of glass, overlooking a panoramic view of the ocean below.

“You know what I mean,” Rom continues.

“You made me dinner all last week.”

“What. I have time on my hands.”

“And the laundry. Oh. And all the cleaning. Maybe I should just go ahead and buy that butler's outfit I keep eyeing up on-” he doesn’t get to finish, sentence ending in a yell, then laughter, as Rom rudely picks him up - then there is awkward hesitation as he glances around trying to find what door leads to the bedroom. There are at least three doors.

Not that Shuu minds very much, laughing helpless up at Rom as he deposits him down on the bed. With a happy sigh, Shuu flops backwards, spreading his arms out wide. “That would have gone a lot smoother if this place wasn’t so big,” Rom grumbles, and Shuu reaches up to give him a scratch behind one of his leopard ears. “I don’t mind doing those things, you know. You work hard, Shuu.”

“Please don’t say that. You’ll inflate my ego and I’ll keep expecting you do more things for me.”

“Man, don’t you get sick of lying all the time?” Rom smiles in slight bemusement, the both of them knowing full well Shuu has never thought that way. Rom leans down to kiss Shuu, bracing his arms around his head, making a surprised comment that the bed didn’t break this time. Shuu can’t help but giggle against his mouth, because although the hotel had been run down, it was still a fond memory. “I kind of miss it.”

“What? How itchy the sheets were, the roof corners smelling like mould, or how there was that damn leak in the bathroom sink.”

“. . . you’re making it sound worse than it really was.”

“Didn’t the tip of your tail get a bed bug bite?”

“Okay. Maybe I have slightly rose tinted glasses when thinking back.”

“Nah. I know what you mean,” Shuu grins, putting both arms around Rom’s shoulders and forcing him to come down closer. He doesn’t mind when he loses his balance, slightly squashing Shuu with his weight. “Do you remember how unfortunate looking the manager was-”

“Oh my god, Shuu, that’s really rude.”

“No, no! Remember. He was a shark myumon, and he had those really big, staring eyes. It freaked me out each time we crossed the lobby, because he just followed us without blinking. I was convinced he was a peeper. I didn’t get any sleep because I thought he would be looking through the cracks in the wall.”

Rom snorts, rolling off Shuu to lay beside him instead, hooking one arm around his waist to cuddle into him. “I mean. To be fair. He had a right to glare at us. We damaged so much of his property.”

“What? Those towels he gave us was his own fault. Who provides towels that will just fall apart after one use anyway?”

“I still felt bad about it.”

“I know _you_ felt bad,” Shuu didn’t, who ended up shivering the entire night because he had no towels or hair dryer to dry his soaking wet tail with. “. . . you don’t really miss how things were back then, do you?”

He sees Rom consider for a moment, the hand that had been on the small of his back, going lower to gently groom his fur at the base of his tail. “I wouldn’t want to swap hotels and go back there, if that’s what you mean. I wouldn’t say I miss it, exactly, it’s the memories that are making me nostalgic.”

“Now we can make some new ones,” he feels kind of silly saying it, facing heating up self consciously as Rom grins at him.

 

* * *

 

Shuu can’t remember the last time he’s been to a festival. His birthday falls right on tanabata, the perfect time _to_ _go_ to a festival, but the last time he’d really celebrated that, was before he’d become an idol. It’s hard to call it a birthday celebration when it’s in the form of creating an entirely new song, dedicating a few weeks to rehearsals, then spending the entire day performing at said concert and doing signings after.

“Shuu, are you almost done?”

Rom voice calls from the other side of the door. There’s no exasperation to his tone, but Shuu can tell he’s grown tired of waiting for his boyfriend to put his face on. It happens every time. Rom will be putting on his shoes and jacket, asking if Shuu wants to come down with him to the shops -  then immediately regret asking as Shuu will spend the next half an hour picking out a matching outfit to go with his glittery eyeshadow. At least when they plan in advance to go on a date, Rom can arrange to have a book on hand to read while he waits.

“Uh. .  I’m having issues with the obi,” Shuu grumpily admits defeat, glaring at his reflection. He’s not used to wearing traditional clothing. As Rom comes into the bathroom, he gives a little coo at how cute Shuu looks. He turns to glare at him instead. “It’s not cute when it looks like I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“But that just makes you cuter,” Rom fondly argues back, taking in Shuu’s appearance with a satisfied tail flick. It’s not that Shuu dislikes yukatas, but he views himself as not suiting them very much, no matter how much Rom disagrees the point. With his bright blonde hair and rainbow highlights, he feels so awkward and out of place in anything remotely traditional looking. Maybe when he was younger, with his mousey brown hair, he would have suited such things.

Quite a while ago now, Shuu had done a photoshoot with his twins for a new year’s promotion. When Rom had seen the bromides produced from the shoots, he had shyly admitted to Shuu he wouldn’t mind seeing him wear something else like that in future. This didn’t surprise Shuu, in hindsight. Rom had always been a sucker for anything traditional. An old soul at heart.

So on a whim, Shuu had packed the only yukata he owned into his suitcase for the trip. It was very Shuuzo. A gradient pink that got darker around the bottom, with star designs woven into the cotton. Shuu hadn’t thought there would be yukata’s with fun designs - admittedly, he was only basing this off Rom’s very boring, one colour and no design ones - but almost all the women’s section had something that appealed to him.

Of course, Rom doesn’t miss the fact he wants his obi done up higher, above his hips, and tied into a traditional bow at the back. His habit of cross dressing didn’t come as a surprise to either of them. Shuu had always walked that fine line of masculinity and femininity. And, well, whenever he wanted to be seen in public with Rom, it was much easier to put on a long wig and heels than trying to hide himself as another male.  

Although Rom has never done up a woman’s yukata before, it only takes a few tries before he manages to have it sitting correctly. The bow just rests above Shuu’s tail, which looks more adorable than it should.

“You look better than me,” Shuu decides, looking at them both in the mirror. Rom, much taller, and filling out his yukata in all the right places. Shuu just thinks he looks weird in comparison.

“Nothing I say will change your mind, huh?”

Although Shuu isn’t wearing a wig, the way he’s drawn back the longer parts of his hair and clipped it up with a little star ornament, at a glance, he would have been mistaken as female. “I don’t appreciate the fact you’re now much taller than I am,” Shuu gives Rom a withering look with narrowed eyes, his geta boosting his already unfair height. Really, the only reason why Shuu wears heels so often is so Rom won’t have to bend down to kiss him all the time.

“I like it very much,” Rom snickers, locking the hotel room behind them. “You’re now at the perfect height to be my chin rest.”

“Charming.”

Not used to wearing low heeled geta himself, Shuu has to cling onto Rom’s arm to stop himself from tripping at every second step. Rom makes a comment on _shouldn’t idols be perfect at doing everything_? Shuu threatens he can sleep on the couch if he keeps those smart comments up.

 

* * *

 

As soon as they arrive at the local festival, Shuu wants to do everything at once. Unlike Midi City, the main street isn’t jam packed full of myumons, taking five minutes to move from one spot to the next. Rather, it’s just lively enough for them to hold hands so the other won’t get lost in the moving crowds. There are no harsh city lights, everything powered through softly glowing lanterns and fairy lights that hang from each street vendor. While Midi City would have made a spectacle out of a band, or hosted some kind of special event, here, there are mostly food stores, or children’s games, like ring toss and fishing.

There are quite a few tourists, some, like them, in traditional yukata. Others, sporting silly Hawaiian shirts and shorts.

Now that he’s had time to think back, quite possibly the last time he’d ever gone to a festival was when he’d snuck out to watch Rom’s taiko performance. Back when they had been separated, and Shuu’s curiosity had gotten the better of him. Shingancrimonz had been doing some sort of fundraising at the festival, and Rom’s drumming had been a huge crowd pull. There was no fear of getting caught with how many people were milling about, but years later Rom had still called him out on it.

Like a little kid, Shuu drags Rom from street vendor to street vendor, eyes big and filled with the lantern’s lights that are strung up and down the main pathway. The smells of all the different foods are too enticing to ignore, and Shuu pauses at one vendor in particular.

“Rom, what’s that?” he asks, pointing to what looks like a hard baked cookie.

Of course, Shuu would go right for the kid’s food. “Karumeyaki. It’s made from caramel. See. You can watch the guy making it over there,” right at the back, one of the cooks is slowly stirring a boiling pot of pure caramel.

“I want one,” he wags his tail happily as Rom buys one of the little puffs for him, the leopard pulling a face when Shuu offers him half.

“That’s way too much sugar for me.”

Although he’s quietly happy Shuu seems to have given his strict diet a drop kick, even if it’s only for the duration of their holiday. Though at the rate of him demanding every sweet thing they come across, his new concern becomes Shuu developing diabetes at an early age.

“Do you think they have fireworks here?”

“It seems kinda small for that,” Rom admits, because it’s only taken them about half an hour to explore every store they have to offer. It definitely has a more night market feel to it, than celebrating anything in particular. “We could carry on down to the beach?”

The good thing about the island is just how close everything is. Their hotel is barely a five minute walk from the waterfront, while the small township just nestled behind it. Leaving the lights and noise behind them, the pair continue down the pathway, Rom pulling out his phone to give them better lighting. Although the moon is out tonight, the light barely pushes through the thick, leafy canopy of the trees around them. It can hardly be called a forest, but there’s still enough greenery and tricky footing to make them struggle, the tree line slowly petering out into sandy beach.

“That was a lot easier to navigate this morning,” Shuu complains, reaching up to fix some of his hair that’s fallen from its clip. “Oh. It looks really pretty at night,” deciding working up a sweat had been worth it in the end. The sky is clear of all clouds, moon hanging low in the sky and reflecting on the ocean’s waves, which can be heard crashing far off in the distance. Walking closer to the ocean, Shuu stops them before the lapping sea foam can reach their feet, finding a nice enough patch of sand to sit down in. With how later into summer it is, and despite it being night time, the breeze still carries the heat of the day, lightly ruffling up the fur on Shuu’s tail as he curls it around his legs.

“Man. It’s gonna suck when we have to leave in a few days,” Rom sighs, and there’s a small flomping sound as he lies back into the sand, putting both arms behind his head. “I’ve gotten too used to sleeping in each morning, not having to get up for work each day. I’m gonna really miss the good weather too, the sun is so nice out here,” he pauses. “I guess I do miss band practise though. It feels like something is missing when I don’t get to play the drums for awhile.”

Shuu can get that.

Although this break was very much needed, he does miss not getting to sing with his bandmates.

“You know what I’m gonna miss?” Shuu says at last, tearing his eyes away from the amazing view and instead folding his arms on Rom’s chest and leaning against them to look down at him. “I’ll miss getting to stay in bed for as long as I want, getting to cuddle you.”

“Wow. That was pretty gross.”

Shuu pouts, and moodily tries to move away, but Rom traps him against himself by wrapping both arms around him. “I’m only joking, you,” he grins in good humour, raising his head slightly, looking for a kiss. Shuu, on the other hand, strains his neck away, refusing to kiss big meanies. His evasion doesn’t last long, Rom easily tipping them both over so he can roll on top of Shuu. Both of them end up coughing in the shower of sand.

“Very smooth,” Shuu laughs, not at all annoyed that his hair has come completely undone, and half of his backside is now very much coated in sand.

“I’m trying, okay?”

It’s Shuu turn to lean up a little, wrapping his arms around Rom’s neck and giving him a sweet kiss. His lips are slightly salty from the sea breeze, but it’s not unpleasant.

“We could come back next year?” Shuu suggests. “Make a yearly trip out of it.”

“I’d really like that.”

It really is such a shame to go back home, Shuu can’t help but agree with Rom’s musings as he stares up at him. He doesn’t want to go back home just yet. It’s so perfect out here. With no light pollution so far out, Rom’s perfectly haloed by thousands of glittery stars, a view Shuu could very much get used to. His two favourite things right before his eyes.


End file.
